Big Motoring World consolidates Peterborough dealerships, readies extra Surrey site

Used car supermarket group Big Motoring World is consolidating its two dealerships in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, into one site to gain efficiencies.

Its dealership in north Peterborough, at Werrington, had been its prestige brand specialist while its other dealership, at Fengate in the south of the city, was focused on mainstream cars.

Both were SW Car Supermarket sites which Big Motoring World acquired in 2021, not long after Big's vehicle preparation factory opened in Peterborough.

A spokesman for the ID10 independent dealer group said the Fengate showroom recently underwent a multi-million-pound refurbishment and will be renamed ‘Big Motoring World Peterborough’ from October 1 to reflect the consolidation.

The staff and stock from the Werrington site will be retained and relocated to the remaining site. The company does not anticipate any redundancies.

Following the consolidation, customers will be able to choose from both premium and family vehicles from the newly dubbed Big Motoring World Peterborough dealership, which will increase its stockholding to up to 600 cars.

Laurence Vaughan, Big Motoring World's chief executive, said: "We remain determined to grow our network to become the clear market leader in the car supermarket sector.

"Consolidating our two Peterborough stores into a single, larger format is part of our strategic review to create operational efficiencies, a better working environment for our colleagues and a wider range of accessible choice for our customers."

Big Motoring World Camberley is set to open next on November 1 in Surrey in the former home of a Sytner-owned CarShop dealership which Big acquired alongside CarShop Norwich and Sheffield in July.

Now Big Motoring World operates ten used car supermarkets in West Malling, Blue Bell Hill, Enfield, Peterborough, Wimbledon, Leeds, Cannock, Sheffield, Norwich and Camberley, and it is forecasting to sell circa 60,000 used cars this year.

Under a team led by founder Peter Waddell, who remains its major shareholder after being ousted from the CEO post earlier this year, Big Motoring World has grown rapidly into the Home Counties and Midlands from its beginnings in West Malling and Blue Bell Hill.

In addition to its retail outlets, the group operates four vehicle preparation centres located in Peterborough, Leeds, Cannock and Sheffield with capacity to process about 80,000 vehicles per year.